Until He Comes Along
by NancyBoy.87
Summary: The Doctor treats Clara with a trip in a hot-air balloon, with a surprise along the way.


**This tiny little story has been kept in a dusty corner of my laptop since June, roughly. I'm not new to writing, but very few people have read anything I've written because I've never had the confidence in my work, so this is a first for me. A friend of mine, and also RandomVictorian, encouraged me to upload something.  
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I aimed to make this fanfic very innocent and sweet, so I hope fans of Clara and 11 enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

* * *

Clara and the Doctor stood side-by-side at the console, pondering where to go from her book, '101 Places to See'. It lay on the switches and buttons with its pages being flicked back and forth, rustling under the fingertips of its readers.

"Well, besides what's in your lovely book, you've turned down the first Mars base, the continent of Glip on the planet Yufrey, New Zealand, and Clom; though I'm glad you turned down Clom" He pulled a face, making her giggle. He folded another page over and saw a child's colouring of a hot air balloon. "Did you draw this?" He picked up the paper. It depicted a little girl with her mum and dad inside the balloon's basket.

"Technically, it's not a place, I know. Rather, something I wanted to do" She took the paper from him. "I drew it for my mum when I was little, and we put it straight in here - she told me they would take me one day… but it never happened"

The Doctor thought it over. "Would you still like to?"

"Wouldn't you rather go to a planet or-?" She paused, seeing him shake his head. "Why not? A balloon ride, Doctor; not very exciting for someone like you"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I want to take you somewhere that you'll enjoy, and your enjoyment is what I'm aiming for"

"You're really sweet" She giggled, placing her picture back and folding the book closed. "Ok, a balloon ride over Lancashire" Hugging the book to her chest, she nodded towards the console. "Push the button"

* * *

"First serious boyfriend I had cheated on me, and my second boyfriend simply fell out of love with me… at least that's what he implied - I guess I wasn't good enough" She wasn't sure how the subject matter came up but it was an excuse to tell him more about her life.

"I find that hard to believe"

"What?"

"You not being good enough, I don't believe that" He replied.

"Oh…" She stood up straight and looked to him. She knew she was blushing and smiling like a fool. "Really?"

"Of course" He affirmed, smiling back at her.

She broke the awkward gaze they held in that small, intimate, basket, scanning her eyes across to the countryside below them. "Some of my friends are married and have kids now… so, I'll have to keep searching for him"

"Who?" He asked, innocently. She threw him a look. "Oh, I see" He cleared his throat, fiddling with the frayed bracelet she wore on her wrist. "How would you know when you'd found him?"

"I don't know" She suddenly realised he'd began twirling the thread between his finger and thumb for a moment or two, feeling the little tug he gave it. She knew he was flirty, a charmer, and she knew he had a soft spot for her, even if he was clumsy and bashful about showing it. "Maybe he'll sweep me off my feet. Or some gushy nonsense like that" Clara gave a laugh at the notion, glancing to the man sharing the experience with her.

She could tell he was muddling over something.

And he had been.

The Doctor had a split-second thought of lifting her into his arms and kissing her passionately, but rejected the idea when she leant into his shoulder, distracted by the scenery. He guessed he'd already swept her off her feet with the hot-air balloon ride. That count, right? _'Of course it does!'_ he told himself. It was romantic enough.

"Do you want to wear it?" She giggled, pulling him out of his mind.

"Sorry?" He stroked the material around her wrist a little more liberally.

"You either want to wear it or…" Pausing to find the right words, she didn't want to admit she knew he was flirting in his own way. She knew how he blushed. "Or you're trying to check my pulse?"

He let go of her wrist. "Oh, um - it's very pretty. Where'd you get it?"

"My mum; it was a gift" She lifted her hand to fix it straight against her skin, making a point to drop her hand closer to the Doctor's on the edge of the basket, silently hoping he'd take the hint.

"Well, it suits you" He confessed, pushing his own in his pockets.

Despite the complement, the twinge in her chest that he didn't continue stroking it blinded her for a moment, lowering her gaze back to Earth.

"And you know what they say about relationships, boyfriends and girlfriends" He began. "If you stop trying to find them, they manage to find you"

"So… I give up?" Her brows furrowed slightly.

"You give up" He reiterated. "Until he comes along, of course"

A mild desperation stained her voice. "But he could be standing right next to me and I'd miss all the little signs he'd show that he likes me"

"You could always… give in, in that case"

"I could?" She looked up at him. Was it that obvious to him that she already had feelings for someone? "I mean, yea, if there was a guy I liked"

"Is there?" He probed, innocently.

She slowly shook her head. "I don't think so"

* * *

They watched a flock of birds fly by their eye-line.

"Canada geese" The Doctor announced, shielding his view from the sun setting low in the sky.

"Are they?"

"Possibly - it's the right time of year for their migration" He smiled, taking a deep breath. "Smells like it"

"You can tell what time of year it is by smelling it?"

"Yep - can hear it, taste it, and feel it too"

She was impressed. Another trait, or at least another quirk, about this alien she could admire. Her eyes lowered to the land below them. "I think I'd like to get back to solid ground now"

"Oh, are you not enjoying it?"

"No, I love it" She turned back to him. "Thank you for bringing me, it's beautiful, but…"

"But what?"

"I just need the toilet, that's all" She'd lied to keep herself from doing something stupid with the feelings she had at that moment.

* * *

Back in the TARDIS, Clara had finished in the bathroom and was startled to find the Doctor waiting outside the door.

"How long you been there?"

"Just arrived - you were taking a while"

"I was- um-" She'd been thinking of the balloon ride, thinking of his fascination with her bracelet. Not thinking of pressing her lips upon his, at all. "Never-mind"

"Are you ok?" He asked. "You look troubled"

Her eyes seemed to glaze over. Distraction was written all over her face.

He waited patiently, watching his knuckles come in contact with her cheek, softly and comfortingly. "Clara, you can tell me anything, you know that" He smiled. "Let me fix it"

"I don't think you can fix this" She admitted, and brushed past him to the console room.

"Try me" He called, and followed her through, finding the tiny brunette sitting on a seat with her knees huddled to her chest.

"Could you take me home, please?"

"You want to leave?"

"I just need to clear my head of a few things" Clara kept her eyes to the floor in an attempt to ignore the image before her, because she knew the Doctor was overcome with heartache, bemused at her request.

Without another word, he flung his coat across the railings and began to walk to the central column, punching buttons and flipping switches to land, seemingly, at Clara's front door.

* * *

"This isn't the Maitland's" She observed, stepping out the TARDIS.

He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. "I know, I wanted to show you something"

She let her eyes wander over the short hedge around the back garden of the property. She recognised nothing, but the elderly woman in the garden looked familiar.

"That's me!" She gasped. "Doctor, that's me! An older me…"

"And that's your husband" He pointed towards the crooked, wrinkly gentleman stepping from the greenhouse with a couple of plant pots in his grip, going about his afternoon, helping his wife with the gardening.

"Doctor, I don't understand - why did you bring me here?"

"I wanted you to know that you'll never be alone Clara; you'll find him, I promise" He took hold of her hand and squeezed it.

Her eyes closed as tears fell. She couldn't quite believe what she'd witnessed, and turned to hug the Time Lord before she could disbelieve it once more. But she was happy, not sad. All of her doubt faded as he held her tight, stroking the back of her head, soothingly.

"Can they see us?" Suddenly aware how exposed they were in the street and dared herself to look back to the couple.

"No. There's a perception filter around the TARDIS" He explained. "And we'd better get back inside; she gets grumpy when I break the rules" He laughed, throwing a thumb over his shoulder towards the ship. "This is a pretty big rule I've broken, considering this is your future. Come on" He tried to walk her back in but she tugged against him.

The look in her eyes sent a shiver through his spine, a yearning in his twin hearts he felt in her lone, and she battled with a smile and a frown, confused by it all.

"Just… explain"

"Is that not explanation enough?"

"I don't know" Her head shook, and she let her eyes fall behind her once more, pressing her back into his chest as he cuddled her close.

They watched the couple busying themselves in their beautiful garden, oblivious to their audience.

"Does she remember being me, right here, looking at… me?" Clara laughed at the ridiculous situation she was in.

"Her memory will change once we go. It takes a little while to rewrite a memory at her age, a specific time in someone's life so long ago - and we really have to leave now"

"Ok" She wiped her eyes, halting any more that wished to break free.

Brushing a strand of hair from her face, the Doctor picked a small flower from a plant along the verge, tucked it behind her ear, and left a tender kiss on her cheek. She smiled at his sweet gesture, and was offered his hand to hold. His knowing grin made her giggle as they turned to walk, hand-in-hand, back through the door and it closed behind them. The ship dematerialised instantly, sending leaves spinning around in its place.

* * *

Within the garden, Clara took her mucky gardening gloves off and sat at the patio table. Her tired and aging body enjoyed the rest. "Those'll look wonderful when they bloom" Looking towards the shrubs that'd just been planted.

Her husband repaid the smile she gave him, perching on the wall around a raised flowerbed. He wiped the sweat from his brow and grabbed his cup of tea, taking a quick swig. "They better - nearly broke my back putting them in for you, missus"

Hearing her laugh was a joy to his old ears.

He took hold of one of the roses from the bush beside him, snipped it off a little way along the stem, snapped the thorns with his thumb, and helped his wife stand up to tuck the flower behind her ear. He kissed her cheek and cuddled her close as they gently swayed in time with the music from their little radio in the conservatory, enjoying the warmth and comfort of each other through to their aching bones.

"My Clara"

A big smile broke across her face, tightening her grip on her husband.

"… My Doctor…"


End file.
